Mt Chimney
by GianLiana
Summary: May has taken down Archie's first two Pokemon, but what happens when she faces his Sharpedo? A graphic retelling of the epic battle at Mt. Chimney.


**Author's Note:** Hi everyone, so this is my first fanfic! It is a depiction of the Mt. Chimney battle with Archie in a Nuzlocke run and, I will warn, it is graphic. Anyone wanting fluff or romance should turn away now, you will find none here! Otherwise, enjoy! :)

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Although his powerful Mightyena had slumped to the rocky floor in defeat, May felt less hope and more dread. _He doesn't even look flustered, but I've beaten both his Golbat and Mightyena._ She withdrew Combusken, who was bruised and trembling. The battle with Mightyena became far more drawn out than it should have been. Combusken, clearly intimidated by the frightening, black canine, lacked confidence in his attacks and did not follow through with the full power he was capable of. Despite the type advantage, Combusken was left worse for wear.

"Have a rest, you've done well." Was what she said, but not the true reason for withdrawing him. May was concerned. If her previous experiences with Team Aqua were anything to go by, she knew the notorious crime syndicate held a preference for water-types. Archie's next Pokemon was likely to be one. With his back to the red-hot glow of the lava, shadows were cast across his face. His eyes were cold, hard and unnerving. His wetsuit clung to his muscular frame like a second skin, every contour a reminder of his strength. Without her Pokemon, May stood no chance against this man – and he knew it.

"You are strong." Mt. Chimney rumbled beneath them, bursts of lava and flame danced behind Archie as he spoke with a tone of ice. "But not strong enough." He threw his third, and final Pokeball.

"Shit…" May muttered at the entrance of Archie's Sharpedo. She had nothing.

"Scared, are we?"

May didn't want to admit that, yes, she was afraid. Sharpedo's eyes were like blood-red rubies with no lustre. They were dull, empty and thirsty – the Pokemon seemed driven by primal instinct. Its jaws, however, were most frightening of all. They were strong, sharp and lethal. A feeling of dread welled up within her, and she was reluctant to send her Pokemon in against this monster.

A sinister laughter erupted from Archie, he knew he had hit the mark. "You are."

Pride swelled in May's chest at the insult. "Am not!" She shouted back, a little too childishly for a battle scene staged above the deadly lake of lava below.

"Then make your move, little scamp." Archie prodded, his gruff voice making the nickname anything but endearing.

May gritted her teeth, every muscle in her body tense. Her hands were clammy from the intense heat, causing the Pokeball to nearly slip from her fingers into the liquid inferno below. "Go, Beautifuly!" The butterfly was the only full-strength Pokemon on her four-member team with the arsenal to combat Sharpedo's dual dark/water-typing. "Silver wind!"

"Ice-fang." Archie's gritty command came simultaneously, but Sharpedo was faster.

As the silver swirls of light began to dance around Beautifly, Sharpedo launched through the air like a missile.

"No!" May cried, but it was too late. The sickening crunch reached her ears, and she watched Sharpedo's icy jaws split Beautifly in two.

With a shake of its head, the lower half of Beautifly's body slopped lifeless to the rocky floor, and her silver blood oozed from Sharpedo's jaws. It spat the upper half out, soulless red eyes thirsty for more.

May stared open-mouthed, stunned with shock. Then, the rage surged through her and she shrieked like a Bannette "You killed her!" Her throat felt raw. "You…you…" No fitting word came to her lips, so she screamed, clawing her face with her hands.

All the while, Archie was unflinching. May's words just bounced off him. He stood silent, unsympathetic and threw a stare that urged her to continue.

Determined to avenge Beautifuly, she threw out her Golbat next.

"Leech life!" Golbat landed first, but upon contact, was grazed by Sharpedo's rough scales. Golbat cried in pain and, in his distraction, Sharpedo capitalised.

"Ice fang." It clamped its jaws over the bat Pokemon's lower torso. May's shrieks filled the air as the shark thrashed its head side to side, tearing the bat to shreds and showering May in his blood.

"Oh my Arceus…" May trembled. _It's too strong._ She didn't want to send another Pokemon to their death. At this point, she knew that to take down Sharpedo would require another sacrifice. She had two Pokemon left, and both were at a type-disadvantage. One was a psychic-type, and the other was already weakened. She, and her remaining companions would have to dig deep. _For Hoenn._ She thought, eyeing Archie with a fiery determination. _For Hoenn_.

But she didn't know Hoenn like she knew her party. Those of Hoenn weren't her best friends, her travel companions. So why was she expected to sacrifice them for the good of strangers? Archie was no average trainer – trainers stopped when the opposition fainted. Archie was a seasoned criminal – he followed through, gave no second chances, left nothing to follow his tracks. And if May didn't stop him now, he would follow through with the rest of Hoenn's inhabitants on his quest for power. His rough voice broke her reverie.

"If I were you, little scamp, I'd leave back for home before Sharpedo massacres the rest of your friends." He suggested in a brutal tone. "This isn't the place for young girls who know nothing but fairytales – this is real life."

She dropped the hand wielding her third Pokeball slightly, in consideration of his proposal. _He's right, we should stop before we lose anyone else._ But a red flash escaped the ball when her Kadabra decided to enter the battle itself. "Kadabra, no!" She cried. "You don't have to do this!" Kadabra eyed her over its shoulder before turning to face Sharpedo, ready for battle.

 _For Hoenn._ Kadabra communicated telepathically. _We can stop him_.

Inspired by Kadabra's courage, May decided to throw everything she had into this battle. She would stop Team Aqua. She would save Hoenn. "Kadabra, use reflect!"

"Assurance." Archie's icy command followed.

Kadabra shielded himself with a barrier of energy moments before Sharpedo, shrouded in a dark mist, propelled into him. Kadabra tumbled across the crags. Despite using reflect, the blow dealt significant damage. Sharpedo wheeled around, eyes fixed on Kadabra. May smiled when he got back to his feet and faced Sharpedo, the fiery glow of the lava reflected in his determined eyes.

"Good job, Kadabra, you can do it!" May cheered.

A dark chuckle escaped Archie's lips. "Don't get ahead of yourself, little scamp!"

May was hot with fury. She stamped her foot on the ground. "Show them, Kadabra – Secret Power!"

Similarly to Golbat, Kadabra recoiled at the contact with Sharpedo's skin. Sharpedo, once again, took advantage of this delay.

"Assurance. Full power." Archie's command came, menacing and cold.

Sharpedo charged into Kadabra with such a force that May heard the psychic-feline's bones crack.

May's breath hitched, and she would have screamed if she hadn't heard Kadabra's voice in her mind. _I can do one more, May._ Then he made eye contact. _It has been a pleasure to take part of this journey with you._

Tears began to sting her eyes. _Don't say goodbye._ She begged.

Kadabra glanced at her over Sharpedo's bulk, facing him once more. _It is too strong._ His voice rang in her mind, remorseful but soft.

"Secret power!" She cried.

Kadabra attacked Sharpedo once more, wincing at the roughness of its skin.

"Finish it." Archie commanded.

 _Goodbye, May._

May wailed in despair as Sharpedo's jaws tore through Kadabra's flesh. The psychic type fell to its knees, its entrails spilling from its torso to the rocky ground. With the last light of life leaving his eyes, his face fell to the floor, his corpse soiling the dry stone with blood.

"Fool." Archie chastised her. "Are you not done with the pain?"

"I will not let them die in vain!" She screeched, releasing Combusken.

The fighting-bird screamed its battle-cry, but May did not miss its lack of substance. She knew it was as plain to Archie as it was to her – Combusken was seriously hurt, and Sharpedo was still standing strong. The only glimmer of hope May had was the lingering reflect barrier left by Kadabra. Combusken would be protected, for a few turns. _We can do it, there is a chance!_

Archie eyed Combusken, not a hint of fear in his eyes. "Your bird seems more confident in you than you are in him."

May smiled as Combusken puffed his chest. "He knows better than to listen to your mind games, Archie."

Archie's lips spread in a sickening smile that highlighted the murderous glint in his eye. "He'll know nothing when he's dead."

May growled. "Combusken, use Bulk Up! Maximise your power!"

Archie chucked darkly. "Sharpedo, Screech."

Both May and Combusken were brought to their knees when the deafening, high-pitched scream reverberated through the crags. Combusken tried its hardest to push through the noise, to get back to his feet, but failed each time. He began to scream in pain, trickles of blood running down his neck from his ringing ears. He clawed at his face, begging the noise to stop.

"Combusken!" May screamed. "Combusken! Focus on my voice!"

Combusken opened a frightened eye, and focused on his trainer.

"Louder." Archie commanded, unaffected by the Screech.

 _They're both monsters._ May pondered, in fear. Then, the Screech got louder, and her ears felt as if they were to burst. "Combusken!" She cried once more. "Use fire-spin to trap out the noise!"

Sharpedo, continuing to Screech, jumped in surprise at the sudden burst of flames around Combusken.

"Stronger! Suck the oxygen out of the air!" She commanded. May gazed in awe at the stunning fire-tornado, fitting perfectly with the volcanic scene of Mt. Chimney. She noticed that the Screeching had stopped and took the opportunity to act.

"Now, Flame Burst!" She cried, and Combusken charged from the flames and straight into Sharpedo. Sharpedo cried at the hit, and Archie growled.

"Hmph? Sharpedo! Use Aqua Jet!"

"Dodge!" Combusken attempted to evade the attack, but was still grazed by Sharpedo. The impact of the attack sent Combusken teetering towards the edge of cliff face above the lava pit.

Sharpedo wheeled around its trainer, and took aim at Combusken. "Again." Archie boomed. The shark Pokemon torpedoed towards Combusken.

"Go, Combusken, dodge and double kick!" Combusken was able to dodge, but didn't have enough energy to execute the kick quickly enough.

Sharpedo quickly turned and hit Combusken with an Ice-Fang, without instruction from Archie. Combusken's arm was caught by the shark.

"Double-kick while he is close, it's not your time to die!" Combusken landed two, hard kicks to the gills of Sharpedo, causing it to wail in pain. In the process, however, Combusken earned a deep gash in his right leg from Sharpedo's rough skin, causing him to limp.

After sustaining Combusken's hard hitting attacks, Sharpedo was beginning to weaken. May was beginning to build confidence. "We're going to finish this, Combusken!"

"Busk!" The Pokemon responded eagerly, despite its injuries.

"He's beginning to sway, one more Flame Charge!" May cried.

"Dodge, and Aqua Jet." Archie shouted.

Sharpedo moved out the way, causing Combusken to charge towards the edge of the cliff face. There, he halted, only to be smacked by Sharpedo's Aqua Jet. Combusken held Sharpedo's nose with his arms, and braced himself. His feet, firmly planted on the rocky floor, were pushed towards the edge of the cliff by the sheer force of Sharpedo's attack. Combusken pushed, any more and he would fall over the edge.

"Buskeeeeenn!" He cried, exerting every last piece of strength he had. That was when Combusken moved, on its own accord, quickly swinging his body around and using the momentum to force Sharpedo to the edge. Combusken was now forcing the shark against the edge of the cliff, struggling to push it over the edge to the fiery depths below.

"We've done it, Combusken, you've got him where you want him!" May cheered.

"Not quite." Archie's voice sliced through the air. "Finish him."

Then, Kadabra's reflect-barrier started to fade.

Sharpedo began to twist beneath Combusken's grip. Building up speed, it shot out of the fire-type's hands like a bullet, circled around and shot at him. Sharpedo approached Combusken with great speed and constantly twisting. It all happened too fast for May to register what happened. Like a drill, Sharpedo drove through Combusken's torso, leaving his eyes blank.

"No!" May screamed at the gaping hole in Combusken's body, the blood splattered everywhere. "No!" Hysterical, she fell to her knees. Her starter, her best friend, her first companion. He was butchered. Dead. Combusken's lifeless corpse fell back over the cliff to his fiery grave.

With a sadistic laugh, Archie withdrew Sharpedo and stepped towards the defeated girl. "Look at you!" He roared. "You're nothing."

He got closer and her eyes widened in fear as his shadow came over her. She tried dragging herself away from him but he simply kicked her over.

"The infamous May Maple, and she's cowering from me like a Caterpie." He laughed once more before crouching on the floor to whisper in her ear. "Pathetic."

"What do you want with me?" She whimpered, her voice drowned with fear.

"What do I want?" He hovered over her, pinning down her arms. "You are powerless…" He spoke in her ear.

"…I can do _whatever_ I want."

She screamed. His maniacal laughter filled her ears, and her consciousness began to fade.

 _I failed…_

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 **Author's note:** Yeah...so that was a little dark for a first fanfic. I was just a little inspired by George R. R. Martin lately and thought I'd add his twist to a Pokemon fic. Please let me know what you think, your feedback would be much appreciated! :)


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